Netmarble recently unveiled Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive at the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase. Following the success of the Korean manhwa and anime, Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive is a natural next step in the franchise's evolution. Following the journey of hunter Sung Jin-woo, players can dive into the action in this enhanced action RPG.

Interestingly, while fans were excited to see more from Solo Leveling during the Xbox Games Showcase, the reveal has prompted several questions. Putting the relatively long name aside, the fact that it keeps "Arise" in the title after Solo Leveling Arise, the mobile game that launched in May 2024, has led some to wonder whether Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive is a different game. Furthermore, adding to the confusion, the trailer boasts co-op gameplay, which sharply contrasts with the "Solo Leveling" part of the name.

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By Shivam Gulati

Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive Raises More Questions Than Answers

Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive Is A Standalone Game

While it was initially ambiguous whether Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive was a new game or a massive update, Netmarble developers clarified in the official Solo Leveling Discord that it’s "a new action RPG experience, unlike any Solo Leveling game before." Similar to the announcements in the trailer, Netmarble continued by noting that Overdrive will be a "brand new high-quality PC and console game," while simultaneously confirming to news outlet Gematsu that "this title is separate from Solo Leveling: Arise." As a result, players will not be able to transfer their progress, particularly because Arise is tailored to gacha fans, while Overdrive is an action RPG with a base price.

It's evident that Overdrive draws heavily from the mobile game, which was also playable on PC with cross-progression through Netmarble’s client. This makes sense since it shares the same developer and publisher, and several assets appear to be reused or revamped for the upcoming RPG. Netmarble has already been praised for faithfully adapting the original manhwa’s art style, and the new state-of-the-art graphics and cinematics appear ready to elevate the project to the next level.

Since S olo Leveling: Arise was initially intended to launch on Steam sometime in 2025, but the page now directs fans to Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive, the confusion is understandable. Still, it’s not too late for Netmarble to consider dropping "Arise" entirely and calling it Solo Leveling: Overdrive to negate further misunderstandings.

Those who added Solo Leveling: Arise to their Steam wishlists will now see Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive in its place because Arise is no longer being ported to PC or console.

Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive Will Feature Co-Op, Despite the Name

Solo Leveling Arise Overdrive Co-Op Options

Beyond noteworthy additions like job changes and Sung Jin-woo's growth feature, one of the most compelling aspects of Overdrive is its 4-player real-time co-op mode. It seems Netmarble was testing a variation of co-op in Solo Leveling: Arise with the Final Act of the Jeju Island Alliance Raid, but Overdrive offers a fully-fledged co-op experience for Xbox and PC this fall, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. Though the game has faced some criticism for featuring only variations of Sung Jin-woo as co-op characters instead of other hunters from the source material, it’s somewhat understandable given that players can still recruit those NPC hunters into their teams.

Details on how multiplayer will work are still limited, but it seems that with the feature coming to Overdrive, Arise will not receive multiplayer support. Regardless, with anticipation building for Solo Leveling Season 3 and the franchise’s popularity continuing to skyrocket, Sung Jin-woo enthusiasts will likely be eager for more news in the coming months. In the meantime, fans can wishlist Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive on Steam and the Microsoft Store for further updates.

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